August 13, 2007 - According to study results published in the Journal of Academic Radiology, Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) provides higher sensitivity for the detection of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) than mammography or MRI and can reliably detect small, sub centimeter lesions.
Dr. Rachel Brem and a team at The George Washington University Medical performed the retrospective study that reviewed 20 women with 22 biopsy-proven DCIS lesions. BSGI — a nuclear medicine technique that images the breast utilizing a high-resolution gamma camera — was performed with the Dilon 6800, a high-resolution, small-field-of-view gamma camera in craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique projections. Image findings were compared to findings at biopsy or surgical excision. MRI was performed with a GE 1.5-T system using a dedicated breast coil. The sensitivities of BSGI, mammography and MRI were compared using a two-tailed "t" test and confidence intervals were determined.
In the Brem study, BSGI accurately detected all four DCIS less than or equal to 5 mm (100 percent) and all six DCIS less than or equal to 10 mm (100 percent) with measurable residual disease at surgical excision. Overall, BSGI demonstrated 91 percent sensitivity for DCIS, specifically detected low-grade DCIS and identified several lesions not found on mammography or MRI. The smallest lesion noted was 2 mm.
"We believe this is an important contribution to the literature in that it compares different imaging modalities for the diagnosis of DCIS, a timely issue," said Dr. Brem
BSGI serves as a complementary diagnostic adjunctive procedure to mammography and ultrasound for difficult-to-diagnose patients. With BSGI, the patient receives a radioactive tracing agent that is absorbed by all the cells in the body. Breast cancer cells generally appear as “hot spots” on the BSGI image.
For more information: www.dilon.com